How do I order Instant Pot from your store with a coupon?
Please see our Instant Pot store ordering process guide.
How do you convert 15psi based recipes to Instant Pot?
Instant Pot operates at 11.6psi. How fast food cooks depends on the temperature of cooking. The cooking temperature of 15psi pressure cookers is 121ºC (250ºF), whereas the operating temperature of a 11.6psi Instant Pot is 117°C (242°F). This is a difference of 3.4%. The cooking time difference is about 3.4~7%. This is how you can convert recipes for 15psi pressure cooker to Instant Pot.
Why is there occasional cracking sound in Instant Pot?
The cracking sounds in the Instant Pot come from the following possible sources.
- Water or moisture at the bottom of the inner pot.
- Instant Pot power switch turning on and off.
- Frictions between the lid and the housing created by expansion and contraction due to changing internal pressure and temperature.
- The flat flexible board bending under pressure (the board is designed to last over 100,000 uses)
- Food such as dry beans popping open during cooking.
In the case 1, please wipe the inner pot dry before placing it into the housing. Regarding other cases, please rest assured that there is no safety or functional concerns. Your Instant Pot is working properly.
Why does Instant Pot steam release leak steam?
Instant Pot’s steam release is a safety device. Just like the conventional pressure cooker, it works by weight pressing on the steam release pipe. Since the contact between the steam release and the pipe is not fully sealed, traceable steam could be seen during normal working condition.
Instant Pot’s steam release has a pressure rating of 105kpa or 15.22psi. The steam release keeps the working pressure always under the specified pressure rating.
Illustration of Instant Pot working pressure curve
Instant Pot’s pressure sensor is at the bottom under the heating element. The pressure sensor works by measure the force pressing down on it, including the weight of food. When there’s small amount of food (under the 2 mark on the inner pot), the pressure sensor would be slower to turn off heating. The momentum of the heating could push the pressure over the specified pressure rating, which causes the leaking on the steam release. Once the heating momentum is over, the pressure will be kept at the working pressure well under the 105kpa (15.22psi), and only minimal steam will come out of the steam release. This is still perfectly safe. Please see the illustration of Instant Pot working pressure diagram to understand the pressure changes over a cooking cycle.
If the food is over the inner pot 3 mark level, there’s normally only minor traceable amount of steam coming out of the steam release.
Can I do canning with Instant Pot?
The short answer is Yes. Low-acid foods (e.g. vegetables, meats, poultry, and seafood) must be sterilization at a temperature of 240°F (115°C) or higher. Instant Pot’s working temperature is in the range of 115°C~118°C or 239°F~244°F, which is sufficient for canning purpose. If your jars are under 7 inch or 17.5cm tall, they fit inside Instant Pot. When canning the jars, you should close the jar lid entirely. The trick is to tighten the jar lid and then turn it open a quarter turn. You can use the Steam function to set pressure keeping time on your canning recipe.
How do I remove the food smell on the sealing ring?
Instant Pot sealing ring is made from silicone rubber, which is more durable than natural rubber based product. The sealing ring may pick up food smell during cooking. To remove the food smell, please take the sealing ring out and put it into dishwasher. High temperature and strong detergent remove the food smell.
How do I clean the Instant Pot lid?
If you allow Instant Pot to cool naturally, the lid is normally rather clean, with condensation water only. You don’t need to unscrew anything for to wash it. If you use quick release (letting steam out from steam release), you may need to unscrew the anti-block shield (not the whole steam release assembly), pull the steam release out and the sealing ring for cleaning.
Please always inspect the float valve to make sure it can move up and down without obstruction. You can remove the float valve by taking out the silicone rubber ring for cleaning.
Why does Instant Pot control panel look cloudy?
There is a thin protective film on the control panel which is to be peeled off during first use. When you peel the thin film off, the panel will becomes shinny and clear.
Why does the stainless steel inner pot have rainbow like stain after wash?
The discoloration on stainless steel cooking pot is called “rainbowing” which can be caused by exposure to high heat, cooking starchy things (e.g. rice, pasta) or even detergent staining after hand or machine wash. This is common in all stainless steel cookware. It’s normal and harmless. To clean the rainbow discoloration, please follow the instructions on eHow. More cleaning suggestions from the British Stainless Steel Association.
How do I know when I should replace the inner pot or the sealing ring?
The Instant Pot inner pot is made from solid stainless steel with fused-on 3-ply bottom. We don’t expect any defect to be developed with the inner pot over its life time under normal use.
The sealing ring is made from silicone rubber, which is more durable than rubber. It should work 2~3` years under normal condition. If you notice cracks, leaking or deformation of the sealing ring, you should replace it. You can find replacement sealing rings in our store.
How do I cook pasta?
Please refer to the most detailed instructions about cooking pasta on eHow.
Why does Instant Pot preserve the shape of food chunk pretty well?
This is due to the way the Instant Pot pressure cooking is done. As soon as the cooking pressure is reached inside the inner pot, the intelligent cooking programs of the Instant Pot reduce the heating temperature to only maintain the pressure and temperature. Inside the inner pot, the temperature hovers around the water boiling point under the pressure of about 11 PSI, at 115°C~118°C or 239°F~244°F. Therefore, there is no violent boiling activity to the break down the food chunks, even though they are fully done. This is one of the reasons why the Instant Pot dishes keep the perfect food chunk shapes for better presentation.
In some situations, the user may want to have a more mushy effect of the food articles. As the food is fully cooked, it can be easily broken down by stirring or pressing.
How does Instant Pot’s smart cooking program work? How are temperature and pressure controlled?
Please refer to our Smart Cooking Programs article.
How does the Delayed Cooking work? Why does cooking starts right away if I set the timer to 2 hours?
The Instant Pot timer based delayed cooking shows the ready-to-eat time. That is, if you set the delay timer to 8 hours at 9am, the food will be ready at 5pm, 8 hours later. This is not delayed starting time.
The delayed cooking also considers cooling time. The Instant Pot will be depressurized at the ready-t0-eat time.
Because of the cooling time being taken into account, if you set the timer to 2 hours, some cooking program would start right away.
How long does it take the Instant Pot to cook rice and multigrain ?
Instant Pot has intelligent program to ensure rice and multigrains are cooked well. To cook 2 cups of rice, it takes about 14 minutes (8 minute pressure keeping time). More than 2 cups, it takes about 28 minutes (10 minute pressure keeping time). Additional pressure keeping time ensures rice being cooked evenly in volume.
For multigrain, Instant Pot first soak the grains in 60°C/140°F for 50 minutes before cooking. For 2 cups of multigrain, it takes about 64 minutes. Above 2 cups, it’d take about 78 minutes.
Is there a way I can sauté/brown meat in the stainless steel cooking pot before I close it to pressure cook?
The current model of Instant Pot IP-CSG60 doesn’t have a browning function. If you want to brown meat before pressure cooking, it’s recommended that you sauté/brown the meat in a frying pan and then pressure cook it in Instant Pot.
How long will the Instant Pot keep the food warm ?
After cooking, Instant Pot automatically starts the keep-warm function and lasts for up to 10 hours.
Does the Slow Cook function operate at a lower pressure and temperature?
The Slow Cook function on Instant Pot IP-CSG60 emulates other slow cookers. It can be set to cook for 1~10 hours. The operating temperature is at 88-93°C (190-200°F). You’ll need to leave the steam release to the open position. If not, a low pressure could build up in the cooking pot. Depending on the recipe, either way is fine with most of slow cooking recipes.
How does Instant Pot depressurizes when it has finished cooking without releasing the steam. How long does this process take?
Instant Pot depressurizes by dissipating heat from the cover (specifically the metal parts). Depending on the volume of liquid in the cooking pot, it takes 8~25 minutes to depressurize naturally. The more liquid content, the longer it takes. Manual releasing the steam takes 60~90 seconds to depressurize.
How does Instant Pot control the pressure during the cooking phase without leaking steam?
Instant Pot is equipped with a pressure sensor under the heating element. When the working pressure is reached, heating stops. When the pressure is lower than desired working pressure, heating restarts. This maintains pressure at a certain range, see attached diagram. This pressure is not strong enough to lift the steam release. Therefore, there is no steam coming out during cooking.
Is Instant Pot dishwasher safe?
The inner pot, steam tray, spoon& spatula of Instant Pot are dishwasher safe. The lid will not be cleaned well with dishwasher, because there are loose units (e.g. the steam release) and deep gaps (e.g. the gasket/sealing ring). It is recommended to hand-wash the lid.
However the housing has electronic component and should never be immerse in water. Doing so will damage Instant Pot permanently. The housing can only be wiped clean.
Why do I hear clicking sound during cooking?
To achieve the best cooking result, Instant Pot needs to vary the heat intensity at different cooking stage. The gentle clicking sound comes from the internal power switch of the heating element. This is completely normal.
What is the minimum amount of liquid/food that can go into the Instant Pot and still have it work properly?
During cooking Instant Pot is fully sealed, with almost no leakage of water vapor. Thus Instant Pot requires much less water than convention method. The amount of water required depends on what you’re cooking.
For steaming, 1 cup of water is sufficient for fresh or frozen vegetable with 1~2 minute pressure keeping time.
For Irish stew with meat (lamb/beef/pork), vegetables and potato, you only need 1/2 or 1/3 of the ingredient volume, depending on your preference.
thin film on the panel is to be peeled off when in use.
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